Twin Falls─Pretty pair of plummeting falls on South Fork Snoqualmie River
The lower of the Twin Falls soon comes into view on this hike.
Quick Facts
Location: Snoqualmie Pass Area
Land Agency: Washington State Parks
Roundtrip: 3.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 700 feet
Green Trails Maps: Rattlesnake Mountain Upper Snoqualmie Valley No. 205S
Access: From Seattle, take I-90 to exit 34 east of North Bend turning right (south) onto SE Edgewick Road (468th Ave SE). Proceed for 0.5 mile turning left onto SE 159th Street. Continue for 0.5 mile to road end at trailhead in Ollalie State Park.
Notes: Discover Pass required; dogs must be leashed.
Contact: Washington State Parks (360) 902-8844; www.parks.wa.gov
The Twin Falls of Ollalie State Park make for an excellent close-to-Seattle kid-friendly snow- free (usually) winter hike. It’s a fairly easy hike too, to this pair of dramatic falls on the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River. Over 90 inches of rain annually falls here contributing to quite a display of hydrological force—especially during the wetter months. Squeezed into a narrow gorge on the massive moraine heap of an ancient glacier, the river plummets 500 feet over the course of this hike.
From the trailhead, begin in a dank and saturated forest of moss-draped maples and moisture-dripping cedars. A few giant Douglas-firs and a couple of Sitka Spruce (rare this far inland) line the trail as well. Soon start following the roaring river and catch a few glimpses of the Lower Falls in the distance.
After some fairly level hiking, the trail climbs a couple hundred feet coming to a junction. Take the short spur right for an excellent view of the plummeting 150-foot Lower Falls. Then return to the main trail and continue climbing coming to the thunderous Upper Falls after another half mile. Hike some more crossing the river on a sturdy bridge and following the trail through splendid forest climbing 300 feet high above the river. At 1.75 miles reach the Iron Trail. Return or extend your hike on this long distance rail trail if you want more exercise!
Twin Falls is one of 50 featured hikes in my Winter Hikes of Western Washington Card Deck (Mountaineers Books).
